May 28, 1910 



HORT I CU LT U RE 



815 



SEASONABLE NOTES ON CUL- 

 TURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK. 



Boronias. 

 These plants are forcing their way 

 into popular favor by sheer merit. 

 Very few plants are possessed of such 

 delicate and exquisite fragrance as 

 Boronia megastigma. If customers 

 only knew that one small specimen 

 would fill a large room with a delicious 

 perfume for many weeks they would 

 buy the plant more freely than they 

 do. After flowering the plants should 

 be cut back a little, and, when they 

 break again, that Is the proper time 

 for potting. A word of caution as 

 to over-potting. Boronias are far bet- 

 ter off in small pots— a 6-inch pot is 

 large enough. For potting use sound, 

 fibrous peat with the fine particles ex- 

 cluded, adding some sand and fine 

 charcoal, and be sure to pot firmly. 

 They can with safety be put outside 

 from June until the end of September. 

 Plunge to the rim in coal ashes in 

 some good open position, and pay 

 strict attention to watering. These 

 plants, while they don't like to be- 

 come dry, will not stand excessive 

 moisture at the root. In the point of 

 merit, next to Boronia megastigma is 

 B. heterophylla, a remarkably florifer- 

 .ous species, although the flowers are 

 not so powerfully scented. 



Carrying Roses Over. 



This method of culture has become 

 popular with quite a few growers. To 

 derive full benefit preparations should 

 commence in June, in order that the 

 plants may be gradually dried off, by 

 withholding water, the idea being to 

 afford a short season of rest without 

 injuring them, and that fact should 

 be kept in mind. When the supply of 

 water Is gradually reduced, they will 

 start to ripen their wood, and new 

 growth will stop. While this drying 

 and resting period is going on the 

 house should be thoroughly ventilated, 

 both day and night, and kept as cool 

 as the season will permit. The syring- 

 ing should go on as before, so as not 

 to allow the foliage to become the 

 prey of red spider, and the ripening 

 process is benefited by a not too 

 abrupt checking of root action. If the 

 plants are in benches, ripening can be 

 completed in ten days or two weeks. 

 But if in solid beds it will require 

 from two to four weeks. When growth 

 has ceased, the loose soil on the sur- 

 face should be removed, and replaced 

 with a fresh compost that has been 

 well enriched with cow or stable 

 manure. Remove all thin or weak 

 wood and cut back the stronger 

 growths to about one-third of their 

 height. Extreme care is necessary 

 during the first two weeks after cut- 

 ting back, as to watering; they should 

 'be watered only slightly, but syring- 

 ing every day will prove very bene- 

 ficial. 



Cycas. 



About this season, and until mid- 

 summer, is time to get and start dor- 

 mant sago palm stems. They are 

 among the florists' most useful decora- 

 tive plants. The nude stems, as they 

 •come from the tar east, should be 



placed in pots very little larger than 

 is necessary to hold them. Any good 

 fresh potting will suit them very well. 

 The soil should be rammed down all 

 around the space between pot and 

 stem. A good method after potting is 

 to plunge them in a mild hotbed. 

 Some deep frame, with the sash heavi- 

 ly .shaded, will make an ideal place 

 for them. Give them plenty of air and 

 as soon as growth starts nicely they 

 can be removed to the greenhouse 

 where they will make a fine crown of 

 leaves. During their development a 

 shading is always necessary. Syringing 

 is most essential. A frequent wetting 

 down of the benches and paths creates 

 that moisture in the atmosphere so 

 congenial to this subject. 



Gardenias. 



The popularity of the gardenia is 

 growing fast. Planting can be done 

 any time from now on and during. 

 June. A great deal of the success or 

 failure in gardenia growing depends 

 on how the soil is prepared. It likes 

 a light, sandy, and well enriched soil. 

 Select a soil that lets the water 

 through freely, always avoiding a 

 heavy soil. Adding one-third of well- 

 rotted cow manure to two-thirds of 

 the above soil will make a very good 

 compost. See that the benches have 

 a good layer of broken croc'- s laid 

 evenly over the bottom, for it is im- 

 portant that there is good drainage. 

 When the plants are in 4-inch and 

 fairly well rooted they make good 

 stock to plant out. After they have 

 started to gi'ow freely the leading 

 shoots should be pinched during the 

 summer in order to produce bushy 

 plants. The chief essentials in grow- 

 ing gardenias are atmosjiheric mois- 

 ture and abundance of water at the 

 roots during the gi-owing season. 

 They should be syringed at least twice 

 a day and a sharp lokout kept for in- 

 sect pests, chief of which is the mealy 

 bug. Gardenia Veitchii is the best 

 variety for winter forcing. 



Repairing and Cleaning House. 



Unless an exceptionally good crop of 

 flowers is in sight at this time on 

 any of the benches carnations, 

 mignonette, roses, snapdragons, or 

 any cut flower stock that is becom- 

 ing worthless, should be thrown out 

 so as to get a new start. The first 

 thing after completely cleaning the 

 house is to examine the benches as 

 to their soundness for another year. 

 If you think it doubtful as to its 

 lasting through the season, pull It 

 down and build it anew. Instead of 

 the old, unreliable, unsightly, fixed-up 

 bench you will have a new one that 

 cost no more than the everlasting re- 

 pairing needed on old benches. 



Sowing Hardy Perennials. 



The florist who has a local trade 

 should grow a number of the useful 

 hardy perennials and biennials for cut- 

 ting. In addition to their value for 

 the cut flower trade you will be able 

 to sell some plants to your customers. 

 as they increase quickly. Plants from 

 seed sown now. can be transferred to 

 the border as soon as large enough 

 to transplant, and if watered for a few 

 days tbev will get well enough estab- 

 lished to stand the winter. The seed 

 can be sown in some light soil in rows 

 about six inches apart in a cold frame. 



The sashes should be shaded and kept 

 moist and the seeds will soon appear. 

 The following are all free blooming 

 and perfectly hardy. Aquilegias, cam- 

 Iianulas. delphiniums, digitalis, hes- 

 perip. hibiscus, Malva moschata alba. 

 JOHN J. M. PARRELL. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on tbe 

 follnxving; Heucb Soil, Celestial Peppers, 

 L.ieli IS. Planting out Young Roses, Smilax, 

 Stock plants. 



A MOTHERS' DAY ECHO. 



Our Philadelphia representative had 

 an idea that the way to broaden the 

 Mothers' Day movement from one 

 flower only to all flowers was to lay 

 the matter before the author of the 

 movement. Hence the following cor- 

 respondence: 



"Dear Miss Jarvis : — lu your ;^reat cam- 

 paign please liruadeii the field next year. 

 Motlier loved all the flowers, and so long 

 as it's floweis it will be ail riglit. The 

 coraniercial market gets j'immy-coggled if 

 only one is au fait — and tliat liurts instead 

 of lielping the love of the beautiful among 

 the people, which, I am sure, we all have 

 at heart in spreading — besides the beauti- 

 ful si^ntiment for which you are sponsor. 

 'I'he two clippings I enclose herewith will 

 help to explain my meaning. Supply and 

 dctnand are not so easily regulated in the 

 cut dower world as in a manufactory. 

 Yours very truly, 



G. C. ■WATSON." 



Miss Jarvis' Reply. 



"Letter received. You florists should 

 limit prices for which any carnation may 

 he sold for Mothers' Day, aud show a 

 spirit tlie public i\ill appreciate. Help 

 the cause. Don't make the public sore on 

 you for a little gain one day of year. 

 Verv truly, 



ANNA JARVIS. ■ 



"Dear Miss Jarvis : — I thank you for your 

 courteous favor of the 23 lust., and 

 beg to assure you that all florists are 

 thoroughly in sympathy with the cause. 

 It is the* law of supply aud demand that 

 regulates prices of all commodities, flowers 

 included, and those engaged in the raising 

 or selling of flowers are quite powerless 

 in rc'gulatiug prices. "Hiat is the very 

 i'cason I snggested you broaden your idea 

 from one tioxver to any flower, and especi- 

 ally her favorite flower, whiclie\'er it may 

 have been. This will do away with a run 

 on any one thing aud accomplish the ob- 

 ject you have in view — no advance in price 

 —because the demand would be spread 

 over a larger field. 



On second thought I feel sure you will 

 recognize that I am trying to help instead 

 of hinder. 



Yours very truly. 



G. C. WATSON." 



THE FALLEN TREE. 



There was a tree in Wister Wood 



Last April's livery wore 

 Of emerald leaf and crimson bud. 



But it is there no more. 



There, earliest, on twig and bough, 

 I marked the spring's advance; 



Of all who note its absence now 

 I only care, perchance. 



Yet 'tis enough. For ne'er, for me, 



Shall any spring come in 

 But all its trees shall lovelier be 



Because this one hath been. 



So may it be with me whose blood 

 Stirs ever when the spring 



Calls out to me from Wister Wood 

 And bids me rise and sing. 



Enough for me, if when I've gone 



The way of man and tree, 

 Some spring be made more sweet for 

 one, 



Through kindly thought of me. 



T. A. Daly, Standard and Times, Philadelphia. 



